having a ball!

Mommy has a PERSISTENT sinus infection that jus won't go 'way. She says it SUX. She gots an earache and her on strong MEDICINES. We are trying to be good little schnauzies for mommy, so she can rest, but her definishun of good includes "QUIET" and as you know, schnauzers do not have the word quiet in their comprehenshun. Bark, bark, bark, arrooooo! Can someone come and walk us for mommy please?

Mommy made us a real yummy treat! It is blueberry banana biscotti made with handpicked blueberries. Mommy made a huge batch and shared them with some pups that we know, and EVERY pup liked them!!! You should try them! They are pretty easy to make, and they keep for a long time!

2. In the bowl and using hands, knead until dough holds together. Transfer to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a log. Flatten the logs to make about 4 inches (10 cm) wide.

3. With a fork, poke holes all over the surface of the logs. Place about 4 inches (10 cm) apart on baking sheet.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until firm. Place pan on a rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 F (150 C).

5. With a sharp knife, cut each log into 1/4-inch/0.5 cm thick slices. Place, cut side down, about 1/2 inch (1 cm) apart on baking sheets. Bake for 30 minutes longer or until hard. Transfer cookies to a rack and let cool completely. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 30 days.

We had a great day with Mommy. First we had a great sleep-in all morning. Then some light and power workers came to our backyard to trim some trees that were in the way of the electrical wires. So we got to bark bark bark BARK at them! After they left, Mommy let us outside and we played in the backyard while Mommy hung out laundry on the line. But the best part of the day was when Mommy took us on a walk in the woods to pick blueberries! She said we were very good, letting her sit down and pick the wild berries while we stood guard. Mommy even said that we led her to some great berry patches! They smelled good, and we sniffed them all over. Now Mommy, will you make us some blueberry biscuits please?!

We are back from our voyages with the mutt hutt. We had a great time, and even went swimming (with life jackets, for a very short time). Mom will try to get the video and pics up soon.

However, we are back just in time for Hurricane Bill which is headed directly toward us. Hopefully it will be down to a level 1 or even a tropical storm by the time it gets to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, but so far it doesn't look good.

Please keep us in your thoughts, as well as all the pups in Atlantic Canada. Mommy will try to update you tomorrow (it's supposed to make landfall here by tomorrow night) and let you know how we are. We have plenty of water and supplies should we lose power.

The Tetrad 's Mom made us a neat double coupler and we used it today for the first time. It was AWESOME! The two leads can't twist, and it has made Mommy so happy and our walks so much easier for her! Thank you so much Tetrad's Mommy! We love it!!!

Mommy says we are REAL BAD when we go on our walk with her. First, as soon as we see her get the poop bags and our leashes, we start singing and crying and barking like crazy. Then while she is putting on her sneakers, we start playing/fighting, especially Izzy, because we are so excited to go out! We make a HOLY RACKET, she says. Then Mommy hooks our leads on to our collars, and we try to run out the door as fast we can, nearly tripping her in the process. Mommy says we need DISCIPLINE, and she is at her WIT'S END. She says she doesn't want to walk us any more until we learn our MANNERS. She wonders does anyone have any tips to help her so we can continue to have our walks?!?!

Here’s whatcha gotta do:
Copy this diary entry, and paste it into your own diary. Read and then delete my answers. Then you can fill in your own! We can get to know our pals better ~~ Have fun with it ~~ Then send a rosette or pawmail to 4 pals and ask them to post it in their diary too!
1. What color is your collar? Rudy's is burgundy and Izzy's is red.
2. What kind of food do you eat? Go Natural! Salmon and Oatmeal (www.petcurean.com) - it's the best!
3. What are your favorite treats? Snaps
4. Do you have a sweetheart or significant other? Rudy loves Skeeter and Izzy loves Patch.
5. Do you get Table Scraps? No we don't get any table scraps.
6. What is your favorite toy? We love all our soft toys, and we love chewing rawhide bones.
7. When is your Birthday? Rudy's is May 25th and Izzy's is April 13th. .
8. How many times a day do you get to eat? Twice: one in the morning and the other in the evening.
9. Do you have a favorite color? We both like red! .
10. Do you hope all your pals put this in their diary? Yes we hope all our pup pals put this in their diaries. It's fun getting to know our friends! Arroooo!

Alright Pal! You made it here. I see you caught my foot ball pass. Here is what you should do next! Hurry and pass the ball to 5 of your team mates so they can make a touch down. You are also supposed to write down 5 things about yourself that are funny. Also please leave me a bone and ask all those who visit your diary to leave you a bone so you will know they have been there! Ok…Here goes the play!

1. (Rudy) I wear my winter coat only when mommy makes me - I didn't mind it last year, but this year I do!
2. We both sleep in the human bed because we *love* being warm and toasty!!!
3. (Izzy) I bark really low and sound like a big dog, even though I'm only little. I especially don't like running children!
4. We both love to play with other dogs. Izzy is becoming more and more outgoing as she gets older, while Rudy is a little bit more reserved.
5. We go to doggie country camp once a week where we get to play with other dogs all day in a safe environment. We love it there, but we also love to come home!

It is with a very heavy heart that we write that our friend Murphy went to Rainbow Bridge this morning. He was a very good dog, a good friend, and great dog to his mommy. We will miss him very very much.

Mommy put the picture of the two of us in the Christmas present in the Dogster group Schnauzers Rule holiday photo contest. Can you believe we won first place for non-edited photo! Mommy did the absolute dance of joy when she found out! Now she doesn't feel so bad for torturing us by putting us in that stinkin' box! Georgie, Finnegan, and the other admins at Schnauzers Rule even awarded us 10 zealies for first place! Hooray! We love Schnauzers Rule.

By the way, the mysterious "awarding of zealies" was from the photo game where you had to guess the right type of dog. Mommy had forgotten that she played enough to win some zealies. Silly mommy!

We love you all and wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
love always,
Rudy and Izzy (and typist mommy Sarah)